Rancors, Nightsisters, and Sacrifice
by Iron Robin
Summary: Ben Skywalker might not admit it, but he loves his father more than anything else. What would happen if he rushed to Luke's aid instead of listening to Dyon Stadd's advice to stay behind? Rated T to be safe.


**So I've been sitting on this since the battle on the hill on Dathomir concerning the Broken Columns, the Raining Leaves, and the rancors (reference _Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Backlash _if you don't know what I'm talking about). My mind went to a dark place and, well, I frankly love being evil to my favorite characters.**

* * *

Ben nodded in satisfaction as the members of the two tribes sent boulders tumbling down the hill. That would show those rancors. No one could withstand an avalanche of rocks no matter how big the creatures were.

But his satisfaction disappeared fast enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. His dad was still down there. He had to warn him.

Ben sent a wave of danger sense through the Force at Luke, but his father either didn't notice or figured it was directed at something else.

Dyon noticed Ben's agitation and shook his head, sending a clear message through his gaze, _You can't leave now. The Dathomiri will lose confidence._

_But my father is in danger._

_You're their leader._

Ben chose not to heed his friend's warnings and charged down the hill toward his father.

Guilt gnawed at him even as he ran. He knew he shouldn't have left. He knew that the Dathomiri would fall apart without him. But he couldn't let his dad die. He'd already lost his mother. He couldn't bear losing another parent.

Ben had to call upon the Force to keep himself from tripping and somersaulting down the steep incline. It would be too embarrassing to end his rescue in a tangle of limbs. Not to mention that would probably just get both him and Luke killed.

"Dad!" he called, using a touch more of the Force to put on a burst of speed. "Dad, look out!"

Luke appeared not to hear over the sounds of battle. He continued to hack at the nearest rancor with his lightsaber, green light illuminating the beast's features.

"Dad!" Ben tried again, screaming to be heard.

It was evident that he couldn't count on just his voice to save his father. The choice he had to make was obvious.

As a rock the size of a rancor's head came hurtling toward Luke, Ben tackled his father, knocking him to the ground. In the process of falling, the boulder caught Ben in the head with a sickening crack.

The momentum knocked him to the ground and he rolled down the hill, unable to stop himself as his strength failed him and his vision narrowed.

He vaguely heard a startled, "Ben!" as he crashed into a tree at the bottom of the slop and consciousness left him.

* * *

_Ben._

Darkness. Darkness unlike anything he had ever experienced surrounded him.

_Ben, open your eyes._

Was this natural? Why didn't his head hurt? He thought he remembered being hit. Hard.

_Ben, honey, wake up._

He finally allowed his eyelids to flutter open to find his mother leaning over him with softness in her eyes.

"Mom?" Ben queried, startled as he shot to his feet. "But you're-"

"-dead," Mara finished, her voice soft. "You're right, Ben. I am."

"But you look so real! You've never appeared to me in the Force like this."

"I know."

"Then how did you..." Ben trailed off, taking in the sights around him.

He realized he wasn't on Dathomir anymore. He was in a ghostly apparition of the _Jade Shadow. _With a sinking feeling he turned his gaze back to his deceased mother. "Does that mean..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"Yes, Ben," Mara answered with a sad smile. "You're dead."

Ben blinked, slowly lowering himself back to the floor in shock. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't just be...dead. He'd been through so much and now he learned a _rock _did him in?

"Don't be ashamed. You sacrificed yourself for your father," Mara soothed, trying to reassure him.

Ben shook his head slowly. He wasn't really that worried about how he'd died. He was worried about his father. "Mom, we left Dad all alone. He's the only Skywalker left."

His mother offered another sad smile. "I know. But that farmboy is strong. He'll be fine."

Ben shook his head again. "No, I can't die. I need to get back to him. Take me back!"

He felt like a little kid again, begging his mom to make everything okay.

"I can't, Ben," Mara said quietly. "I can't change fate."

The gravitas of the situation settled on Ben's chest and he found it hard to breathe. This was really happening. And yet, he still didn't think of himself. He could only think of Luke and the agony he must be going through.

_I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry._

* * *

Luke couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so much despair. And he meant despair from himself, not from others.

When he felt Ben careen into him, he let gravity take hold and fell to the ground. He knew that his son had just saved his life and he was about to offer a grateful smile when the sound of rock upon bone reached his ears.

He lifted his head and angled it to the right to see Ben tumbling down the hill. Worry rushed through him and gave him the adrenaline to leap to his feet.

"Ben!"

Luke began rushing down the incline to reach his son. When he saw Ben's form crash into a tree, he used the Force to make him run faster and crouched next to the all too still figure.

"Ben?" he asked, voice trembling slightly as he lifted the boy's head and cradled it in his lap. "Ben, are you okay?"

Ben's eyes remained closed and Luke watched with dread as all color began to fade from his complexion. Further investigation proved that there was a vital lack of breathing and pulse.

"Ben, wake up," Luke started to beg, shaking his son's shoulders gently. "Come on, we've still got some rancor butt to kick."

Luke would never have imagined voicing that out loud, but he had to say something. Something to cause Ben to wake up and grin at him like always. Anything to see that exasperated roll of the eyes again.

But Ben didn't wake up. He didn't grin. He didn't roll his eyes. He remained still. The only movement that came from his body was blood trickling out of his nose.

"_No!_" Luke cried, the single word tearing forth from his very soul.

The pure anguish inside him released through heartbroken sobs as he dropped his forehead to his son's chest and held him tight. Luke didn't care if anyone saw. Ben was gone. First he'd lost his beloved wife and now the world decided to cruelly rip his son from him as well.

_"Dad?"_

Luke couldn't help the surge of hope at the sound of Ben's voice. He lifted his head and scanned the boy's face for any sign of life. Of course, he found none.

_"Dad, you know corpses don't talk, right?"_

The halfhearted attempt at a joke made Luke offer a pained smile as he turned to find the spirit of his son sitting next to him. "I wish they did, son. I wish they could walk and talk and breathe, too."

_"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of being a corpse?"_

Luke wanted so badly to reach out and ruffle Ben's hair, but he knew that was impossible. "Aren't I supposed to burn your body before your spirit can be seen? That's how it worked with my dad."

_"You know me. When I want to do something I do it. Even if it's kind of against the rules."_

"Just like your uncle Han," Luke chuckled. He was silent for a moment before choking out a, "Thanks," around the lump in his throat.

_"Stang! You've never thanked me for breaking the rules before."_

"I meant for saving my life."

_"Oh. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to-"_

"I know," Luke interrupted. "Neither did I."

The look of misery in Ben's eyes made him look hundreds of years older. _"I'm sorry,"_ he apologized again as he began to fade into thin air. _"But remember you're never alone. Mom and I will always be with you..."_

"Wait!" Luke cried, reaching out to grab his son, but only grasping air. "Don't leave me!"

The plea was in vain for Ben had already disappeared.

Luke felt his heart break all over again. Despite the reminder, he felt so alone. The sheer agony of Ben's death settled on him once more and he wanted to break down. He'd never regretted being a Jedi before. Being one told him to keep his emotions in check. Part of him wanted to lash out in anger.

No. He couldn't do that. Ben wouldn't have wanted it that way. He would have wanted his dad to keep fighting.

So, that's what Luke did. He activated the lightsaber, relished the _snap-hiss,_ charged at the nearest Nightsister that finally showed herself, and let out a battle cry.

"For Ben!"


End file.
